Pregnant women can reduce the risk of postpartum depression by using pain relief during delivery, a new research suggests.
Katherine Wisner, M.D., a Northwestern Medicine perinatal psychiatrist, explained in an editorial of Anesthesia & Analgesia that pain control with epidural anesthesia during a vaginal delivery considerably lowers risk of postpartum depression. Wisner's review was based on a latest study in China.
Wisner informs that the incidence of severe acute postpartum pain is approximately 11 percent. The occurrence of chronic pain differs by study but ranges from 1 to 10 percent for vaginal delivery and 6 to 18 percent after a cesarean.
She explained that the reasons behind postpartum depression are biological and emotional factors. The problem affects 14.5 percent of women who give birth. A woman who has chronic pain one to two months after delivery should be screened for depression, Wisner said.
The Chinese study found that women who used epidural for pain relief during labor had a 14 percent rate of depression at six weeks postpartum compared to almost 35 percent rate of depression for those who did not have the pain relief, a press release explained.
Researchers also found that breastfeeding rates were more in those who had an epidural for pain. The rate was 70 percent compared to 50 percent of those who did not have the pain relief.
"These findings are quite exciting and further research should be done to confirm them, especially in women at increased risk of postpartum depression and in women from other cultures," Wisner said.
According to American Psychological Association, women with postpartum depression become withdrawn, irritable or inconsolable. They also exhibit insecure attachment and behavioral problems. Moreover, they experience problems in cognitive, social, and emotional development and have a higher risk of anxiety disorders and major depression in childhood and adolescence.
